How to Write a Five-Paragraph Essay
Simple Steps to Effective Paragraph Writing for Educational Purposes
Nov 24, 2008
As the landscape of education changes due to various testing necessities or initiatives, one staple of the classroom is the five-paragraph-essay. The five-paragraph-essay is basically a formula for writing that can ease the tensions of compositional writing for students who find it difficult to organize their thoughts and write effectively. Although some may challenge its effectiveness, and condemn its “formulaic” approach, many educators embrace the format, especially teachers of special needs students who need a method for writing cohesive essays on standardized tests.
What is the Formula
The formula for a five-paragraph-essay is a simple and straightforward one. According to Allen Brizee in his 2007 article "The Writing Process" written for OWL, the method sounds uncomplicated because it is; “in fact, the method consists of: an introductory paragraph, three evidentiary body paragraphs, and a conclusion.” This step-by-step process is not the only writing system available, but it is one that can be embraced by learners of different levels and then tailored to the individual student’s needs and abilities.
In the introductory paragraph, the essayist will introduce his or her intentions through a thesis statement, which is typically the first sentence but can be located anywhere in this paragraph. This is the anchor of the paper and will create a uniformity of thought for the reader to follow throughout. This is followed by the three main points of the essay and then the introduction is concluded with a transitional sentence that will bridge nicely to the first body paragraph that is to follow.
The three body paragraphs each discuss one main point of the essay. There are various strategies for placement of points, and one common one is to start with a good point, sandwich the weakest in the middle and save the strongest for the end. That way the reader is left with the most impressive argument prior to the conclusion. Obviously the bodies need to contain strong support points and examples and explanations of said points to elucidate upon the topic at hand.
Lastly is the conclusion. This needs to “sum up” the premise of the paper and revisit some of the arguments; however, it should not simply be a restating of previously mentioned facts, but a summation of information that clarifies the direction the essayist wished to take.
Pros and Cons
As with all educational issues, this formula for writing does have its proponents and detractors. The educators in favor of this method state that the easy-to-digest and systematic approach is a great stepping stone for students who struggle with organizing their facts and have a difficult time with the writing process. Since "A student must articulate the most compelling grounds for their opinion and present them in the most persuasive and logical terms possible," (Asma) this method works. The opponents of this process claim it stifles creativity and does not allow room for expansion outside of the very strict and boring realm of essay writing. It creates a class of drones, simple plugging away at a modus operandi just to “get it done.”
Although both sides of this argument have their merits, the truth is that this formula does offer the students the potential for success and the capability to write effectively, and there are many resources both print and electronic that can offer them the assistance they need. Also, as students begin to grasp this concept, they can expand outside of the five-paragraph realm and attempt different styles of writing and take academic risks knowing they have a string base to utilize. Ultimately, it is a simple method that assuages tension and offers a nice base for students to build upon throughout their academic careers.
Asma, Stephen T. "How to Write a Good Essay."
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